Recent White Tiger Sighting Could Actually Be A Sign Of A Much Darker Situation
Of all the rare and exotic animals in the world, none capture a sense of majesty and wonder quite like white tigers. With their snow-white fur and piercing blue eyes, these creatures appear almost mythical, a fact that's made them widely popular throughout the world. But despite their beauty and global fame, the existence of white tigers is a tragedy — instead of conserving these animals, we should be stopping their breeding altogether.
Fueling An Industry
Of course, "exotic" zoos and breeders will surely tell you otherwise. The sale and exhibition of rare animals is a global, multibillion-dollar industry, and white tigers play an enormous role in creating this kind of worldwide demand. Each tiger sells for a hefty fee.
A Hot Commodity
A single white tiger can fetch up to $60k on the open market, and their scarce numbers — only 200 are known to exist in captivity — make them an especially hot commodity. For this reason, zoos that house these creatures are often well-visited, though they aren't the only places you can find white tigers on display.
Entertainment Purposes
Las Vegas has also become a hotspot for white tigers, thanks in large part to the efforts of the late magician duo Siegfried & Roy. But by presenting these tigers as a means of entertainment, more and more people have become desensitized to the fact that they are still very much wild animals.
Pets For the Wealthy
That's why many of these tigers are now being bred and sold as private pets. This, of course, should come as no surprise — after all, if you had more money than you knew what to do with, what better way to show it off than by flaunting a stunningly adorable white tiger?
